Results of the Constitutional Amendment electionTNLA Share Five percent of registered voters decided the fate of 10 proposals to amend the Constitution. For the results, click here.

TNLA works with TSUS and ISIS to control Raspberry Crazy AntTNLA Share TNLA staff is working with Texas State University System as it moves forward with the implementation of the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species. Last week in Austin, ongoing discussions between TSUS and TNLA took place. One of our first common goals is the control of the Raspberry Crazy Ant. TNLA and the nursery/landscape industry look forward to partnering with ISIS on research efforts, early detection and elimination of "threatening" invasive species.

In 2008, the TNLA Director of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs, Jim Reaves, was appointed to serve on the statewide Raspberry Crazy Ant task force by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples.

EPA announces plans to remove 40 percent turfgrass restriction from Watersense programTurfgrass Producers International Share Turfgrass Producers International along with our coalition partners has had success in convincing the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the 40 percent turfgrass restriction in the landscape section of their Watersense program. The EPA has announced a "Notice of Intent" to remove the 40 percent turfgrass restriction from the Watersense single-family new home specification to accommodate for varying regional climate conditions.More

Cornyn and GOP unable to defeat EPA pollution ruleHouston Chronicle (blog) Share In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, criticized the Environmental Protection Agency for not allowing Texas refineries and power plants the time to meet emission standards set by the EPA's new Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. Despite Cornyn's and other Republican's best efforts, the Senate resolution to repeal the EPA law was defeated 41-56.More

Flowers go techno at Texas A&M's floral design schoolAgriLife Today Share Of all the contagious things in the world, there is one people don't want to avoid  flowers. "The more you use flowers, the more you want to use them," said Bill McKinley, director of the Benz School of Floral Design. "Research shows that there is a connection between happiness and flowers. So why wouldn't you want to have some happiness on your kitchen table?"More

Sam Houston State chosen as invasive species research centerThe Huntsville Item Share Sam Houston State University has been named the location of the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species, the first comprehensive research effort in Texas focused on the early detection and elimination of multiple invasive species. The institute will be located in the laboratories of Sam Houston State University's Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies.More

Don't go straight to 'on sale'Today's Garden Center Share Not every product that stays on the display bench a little too long is necessarily a dog. The way you're trying to sell it may just need a little rethinking. So how do you get slow-moving merchandise moving again without resorting immediately to a margin-busting price cut?More

Immigrants are still fitting inThe Wall Street Journal Share The stalemate in Congress over fixing the nation's broken immigration system and a spate of state laws to curb illegal immigration might suggest the U.S. is doing a poor job of integrating newcomers. New studies by scholars from both liberal and conservative think tanks conclude that members of the great wave of contemporary immigration, who flocked here in the 1990s, are integrating into U.S. society at a healthy clip and are more assimilated than their brethren in other countries.More

Texas water supply for future is uncertainHouston Chronicle Share Texas has a powerful thirst, one that won't be quenched any time soon given projections that the state's population will double to 46 million over the next half-century. In the past, Texans  particularly those in the most populated areas  found water for all those extra showers, sprinklers and toilets by heading to where the water was and grabbing it. More

12 ways growers can enhance retailer relationshipsGreenhouse Grower Share The green goods buying team at Swansons Nursery includes Alex LaVilla (perennials), Liane Smith (annuals and seasonal color) and Gabriel Maki (woody trees and shrubs). Two weeks ago, the three buyers shared 11 ways growers can improve from a retail perspective. This week, Greenhouse Grower shares another list from Swansons Nursery  this one featuring 12 things growers can do to enhance their relationships with retailers.More

Combining compatible colors of tulips offers 'wow' factorAmerican Nurseryman Share With autumn finally here, it is time to start thinking about a renewed and brighter 2012. Tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs add a refreshing break from a long winter, and their appearance in the garden has been a joy each new season for over 400 years. Nothing gives you or your customers a better feeling than to see colorful, spring-flowering bulbs, popping out of the ground and coming into their full flowering glory. More

Ghosts of Christmas past, present and futureGreen Profit Share Your centers are packed full of glitter and lights. Trees are fluffed and decorated. Now take a closer look. That ornament's been packed and repacked longer than your youngest child has been alive, and it's now staring you in the face as a haunting reminder of holidays past. Let's talk about some of those ghosts, how to rid your store of them and how to prevent them from reappearing.More

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